


Old

by MyHero



Series: Old, Aged and Grown... Age is only a number [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-18
Updated: 2012-04-18
Packaged: 2017-11-03 21:31:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/386183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyHero/pseuds/MyHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick is old, he saw more action in his first two year of working with Batman then most heroes do their entire lives fighting crime. He ages fast; it's a part of Gotham.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old

Dick was old for his age. There was no argument there, at the age of 13, Dick was old… really, really old.

**He used to be young, before it happened.**

At the tender age of eight, he watched his parents fall to their deaths. In those few short seconds, it took for the line to snap and his family to fall, his whole world seemed to end. Dick lost more than just parents that night- his childhood and innocence died too.

The sole remaining flying Grayson spent a total of two weeks, four days, thirteen hours and twenty-seven minutes (rounding up) in Juvenile Hall before Bruce Wayne walked in and saved him.

**By then, Dick was pretty old.**

It took him a week and a half to find the Batcave and the next two hours were spent getting lectures from Alfred and Bruce. Later when the butler disappeared up the stairs for a late night snack, Bruce leaned over and smiled. He was still clad in his Batman uniform, with the cowl pooled around his neck and a glint of pride in his eyes. "Good job, Dickey." He said, beaming at the child. Bruce pulled Dick into his lap and the two waited for Alfred to return with the cookies in silence.

**The next day, Dick began training and Robin was born.**

* * *

Dick was old, but Robin? Robin was young. But it won't last long. As everyone knows, heroes age fast.

For the last four years Robin stood at Batman's side protecting Gotham from its insane locals. He faced his fears with the Scarecrow's gas. He took his chances with Two Face's coin. He clutched his ribs as the Joker Gas filled his lungs.

**Sometimes they won-  
**

Robin stomped across Poison Ivy's field of flowers with his steel-toed boots, giving the perfect distraction for Batman's final blow.

**Sometimes the wins didn't go so smoothly-  
**

He was cold, like skin-too-tight and turning blue cold. Batman pushed past the Gotham PD in silence; a shivering Robin clutched to his chest. The Dynamic Duo sped away from the scene leaving Frost tied up inside.

**Then there were losses.  
**

**Physical pain-  
**

Two Face smirked, looking up from the coin in his hand, "Tails again, Little Bird." Harvey Dent held up the bloody knife and advanced, "Lady Luck doesn't seem to be on your side tonight."

**Mental torment-**

Robin could hear the screaming playing repeatedly in his head. The surroundings melted away, but the change went unnoticed as his mom reached out a rotting hand. Next to her, his father waved him forward with a smile.

**And a mix of both-  
**

He couldn't stop laughing. Tears fell down his face and he gasped for air. He saw a pair of purple shoes before being kicked onto his back. The Joker smiled down at him, "See Boy Blunder? No need to be serious." Robin saw the glint of metal before feeling the crow bar slam into his side.

**Robin was really old.  
**

He saw more action in his first two year of working with Batman than most heroes do their entire lives fighting crime. By then, both Robin and Dick were old.

* * *

**But they though he was young.**

His team thought he was young, and technically speaking, he was only thirteen. They treated him like a child, as if he was new to the game, even though he had more experience than all of them and Roy combined.

Megan would ruffle his hair and offer him a cookie, Kaldur would glare at anyone who swore in his presence, Connor felt he needed protection, Artemis would hold back when sparring with him in the gym. Wally wasn't too bad, but everyone else acted like he was eight years old.

**So he acted like it.**

So he did what they expected- he cackled wildly, pulled pranks on the team and made inappropriate jokes at the others' expense. On some level he enjoyed being able to young again, to be thirteen again.

But at the end of the day while everyone else was in bed, he stood at the top of the Wayne Enterprises building, Gotham at his feet. He would stop crimes and take in villains. As sirens echoed off the buildings and the Bat-Signal flashed in the sky, Robin knew he was pretty darn old.

**But if he was old, Batman must be ancient.**

**And Alfred was timeless.**


End file.
